Archives
'Around the Traps' in June
My second experience playing at Selby Folk Club has made this venue one of my favourites. It really is a hidden treasure, tucked away up in the hills. At Selby, I heard Jenny Biddle and was impressed. Jenny has great delivery and phrasing. Her music is sassy and she built great rapport with the audience. Carol's music & poetry night in Emerald was a hoot - if you ever get an opportunity to hear the poet Yvette Stubbs, don't miss her. She had me in stitches so much I had to delay my set, so I could recover! Also, listened to Christie Heart - what a voice! The numbers she sang in Emerald were delicate but beautiful. Click on the names here, to go to the websites for Jenny Biddle and Christie Heart.
Played a few songs at the Mountain Pickers night and was fortunate to have Kim and Leonie help out with backing vocals. The featured act was the Mama's Mountain Jug Band who entertained the crowd with their varied line-up of songs. Roy and his washboard and assorted add-ons such as a frog (yes a frog) were a little unusual but very entertaining. The Mountain Pickers look like they will be evolving and plan to hold their first AGM in August this year. They will aim to incorporate jam sessions later this year - I look forward to that.
Saw Fiddlesticks at Ringwood and enjoyed this duo's performance. Watch out when Jacko pulls out, what appears to look like knitting needles - what he does with them, you'll have to see for yourself. At Ringwood, I played a newly learnt tune and forgot bits half way - oh well... XXit happens. Fiddlesticks played again at Berwick and demonstrated a wide repertoire incorporating cows, chickens, police sirens and even mice (getting sqaushed - ouch!) in their music. Karen comes from a long line of fiddle players and plays an 18th century French violin that comes with a grand story. If you like the violin and ever get the chance to see them - do it. At Berwick, I finally got Cassy to get up on stage with me. Her harmonies on the classic "Keep the home fires burning" (written in 1914) were wonderful, considering that we hadn't really practised. Cassy has a tremendous voice and has a great ear for music, understanding and naturally expressing the way a song unfolds, it's uncanny. I look forward to hearing more of her in the future.
Folk Jam
Apart from the monthly concerts, Ringwood Folk (Victorian Folk Music Club) has weekly jam sessions where you can join in and enjoy some playing traditional songs with others. I paid a visit to one this month and there is a a variety of traditional folk music played but Australian colonial songs seemed to be the favourite.
Maggie's Fiddle Group
On the fourth Wednesday each month Maggie Duncan hosts a Fiddle Workshop at the Dandenong Ranges Music Centre in Upwey. Guitarists are welcome too and I just had to drop in and check it out. Who knows I might take up the fiddle too! The night was filled with jigs, reels and waltzes as the group prepared to play for a "Contra dance" held a few days later in Northcote's Uniting Church Hall on Sunday 26 June. The dance night went well and because there were a couple of bands providing the music, I managed to get in a few dances myself. I hadn't counted on being the main guitarist that night so I really had to concentrate on making sure I was in synchronised with the rest of band... well at least 95% of the time. A fun night and a chance to see a few familiar faces that I last saw at the National Folk Festival.
Singer/Songwriter Group
Edward Nass from BAD Folk has been running a relatively new singer-songwriter workshop and I managed to attend June's workshop. Edward really got us all thinking on how we would write a melody for a song he had already written. It was interesting to compare the results of the three smaller groups we had split into. Thanks to Cyril for letting everyone use his home as the venue. As a spin-off, Sandy and I may get to do a few songs together.
Radio 3MDR
I had the privilege of being interviewed and performing live-to-air on Michelle's "The Dotted Line" program on 97.1FM, 3MDR, Mountain District Radio. 3MDR support local unsigned artists and has programs with a Folk Music focus on Wednesday evenings and country music on Fridays. It was a bit different playing live-to-air, but Michelle was pretty casual and made the process easy, before you knew it, the hour passed by quickly. I'm going to try and get a copy of the audio, so stand-by.
TREWINT Aged Care Facility
Always a pleasure playing there and the facial reactions from some of the residents to some of the old familiar songs can be quite touching. I'll try to remember and bring percussion instruments to share next time.
My second experience playing at Selby Folk Club has made this venue one of my favourites. It really is a hidden treasure, tucked away up in the hills. At Selby, I heard Jenny Biddle and was impressed. Jenny has great delivery and phrasing. Her music is sassy and she built great rapport with the audience. Carol's music & poetry night in Emerald was a hoot - if you ever get an opportunity to hear the poet Yvette Stubbs, don't miss her. She had me in stitches so much I had to delay my set, so I could recover! Also, listened to Christie Heart - what a voice! The numbers she sang in Emerald were delicate but beautiful. Click on the names here, to go to the websites for Jenny Biddle and Christie Heart.
Played a few songs at the Mountain Pickers night and was fortunate to have Kim and Leonie help out with backing vocals. The featured act was the Mama's Mountain Jug Band who entertained the crowd with their varied line-up of songs. Roy and his washboard and assorted add-ons such as a frog (yes a frog) were a little unusual but very entertaining. The Mountain Pickers look like they will be evolving and plan to hold their first AGM in August this year. They will aim to incorporate jam sessions later this year - I look forward to that.
Saw Fiddlesticks at Ringwood and enjoyed this duo's performance. Watch out when Jacko pulls out, what appears to look like knitting needles - what he does with them, you'll have to see for yourself. At Ringwood, I played a newly learnt tune and forgot bits half way - oh well... XXit happens. Fiddlesticks played again at Berwick and demonstrated a wide repertoire incorporating cows, chickens, police sirens and even mice (getting sqaushed - ouch!) in their music. Karen comes from a long line of fiddle players and plays an 18th century French violin that comes with a grand story. If you like the violin and ever get the chance to see them - do it. At Berwick, I finally got Cassy to get up on stage with me. Her harmonies on the classic "Keep the home fires burning" (written in 1914) were wonderful, considering that we hadn't really practised. Cassy has a tremendous voice and has a great ear for music, understanding and naturally expressing the way a song unfolds, it's uncanny. I look forward to hearing more of her in the future.
Folk Jam
Apart from the monthly concerts, Ringwood Folk (Victorian Folk Music Club) has weekly jam sessions where you can join in and enjoy some playing traditional songs with others. I paid a visit to one this month and there is a a variety of traditional folk music played but Australian colonial songs seemed to be the favourite.
Maggie's Fiddle Group
On the fourth Wednesday each month Maggie Duncan hosts a Fiddle Workshop at the Dandenong Ranges Music Centre in Upwey. Guitarists are welcome too and I just had to drop in and check it out. Who knows I might take up the fiddle too! The night was filled with jigs, reels and waltzes as the group prepared to play for a "Contra dance" held a few days later in Northcote's Uniting Church Hall on Sunday 26 June. The dance night went well and because there were a couple of bands providing the music, I managed to get in a few dances myself. I hadn't counted on being the main guitarist that night so I really had to concentrate on making sure I was in synchronised with the rest of band... well at least 95% of the time. A fun night and a chance to see a few familiar faces that I last saw at the National Folk Festival.
Singer/Songwriter Group
Edward Nass from BAD Folk has been running a relatively new singer-songwriter workshop and I managed to attend June's workshop. Edward really got us all thinking on how we would write a melody for a song he had already written. It was interesting to compare the results of the three smaller groups we had split into. Thanks to Cyril for letting everyone use his home as the venue. As a spin-off, Sandy and I may get to do a few songs together.
Radio 3MDR
I had the privilege of being interviewed and performing live-to-air on Michelle's "The Dotted Line" program on 97.1FM, 3MDR, Mountain District Radio. 3MDR support local unsigned artists and has programs with a Folk Music focus on Wednesday evenings and country music on Fridays. It was a bit different playing live-to-air, but Michelle was pretty casual and made the process easy, before you knew it, the hour passed by quickly. I'm going to try and get a copy of the audio, so stand-by.
TREWINT Aged Care Facility
Always a pleasure playing there and the facial reactions from some of the residents to some of the old familiar songs can be quite touching. I'll try to remember and bring percussion instruments to share next time.
